Presently, very few nations are equipped with standard BSL-3 or BSL-4 autopsy facilities as each unit is expensive to build and maintain. These existing contingency facilities are housed in permanent or semi-permanent structures and cannot be moved readily to meet outbreaks of harmful chemicals, radiation or organisms in distant locations. The only facility that resembles a mobile autopsy station is the palletized mortuary supplies organized by the U.S. federal government department—DMORT. These supplies are suitable only for response to major disasters of low BSL levels, e.g. BSL-2 only. The lack of a mobile autopsy facility represents a problem in that bodies infected or suspected of being infected with harmful BSL-3 and BSL-4 agents cannot be autopsied in remote locations, where such practice is most required.
A number of mobile hospital and operating units are known.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,435 relates to a mobile operating compartment that is capable of invasive surgeries. Medical personnel or patients must enter directly into the preoperative/recovery area. Thus, microorganisms can enter on cloths and also as aerosol into a non-sterile area. Once inside the preoperative/recovery area, the microorganisms are able to move into the main operating compartment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,733 relates to a standard cargo container reconstructed into a readily transportable hospital unit, particularly capable of airlift transportation, for providing emergency treatment to injured survivors at a site of a major disaster. There is no provision to prevent the spread of microorganisms within this facility.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,978 relates to a standard cargo container reconstructed into a readily transportable hospital unit, particularly capable of airlift transportation, for providing emergency treatment to injured survivors at a site of a major disaster. However, any surgeries performed therein may be contaminated by outside microorganisms.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,799 relates to a mobile ambulatory surgery centre vehicle for non-emergency, non-life threatening, elective surgical procedures with an aseptic operating compartment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,065 relates to modular transportable field emergency medical facilities. An air filtration/conditioning system and passageway airlocks maintain positive pressure in the operating/post-operative compartments for prevention of contamination. It further includes a deployed system layout that provides efficient patient movement and avoids cross-contamination. This facility does not operate under a negative pressure system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,916 relates to self-contained, transportable laboratories for the detection and quantification of contaminants in gas and liquid samples.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,758 relates to a portable self-contained, self-sufficient facility for the delivery of emergency care, readily transportable on the ground or by air, for a plurality of patients.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,358B1 relates to a mobile hospital system that can be moved by means of tractors, helicopters, railway locomotives, etc. and adapted to provide comprehensive diagnoses and medical treatments to casualties and patients. The container wagons include a surgical operation compartment with air cleaning apparatus for keeping it as a clean compartment. Further, at least one of the container wagons is tightly air-sealed and isolated from ambient air.
However, none of the above discussed prior art documents disclose a containerized, mobile facility for autopsies or examination of contaminated bodies that meet at least BSL-3 requirements.